LITMIR.BIZ

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she cried out as she felt the last breath escape his body. “I will not lose you, too.”

      His face was serene as the pain left him. Tara hugged him to her, sobbing fiercely, hoping by some miracle to infuse life into him. It was the hour before dawn and there was a pin-drop silence. Suddenly, she heard the clip-clop of hooves. A greenish light appeared at the mouth of the cave. Tara clutched Ananth tightly to her. As she stared at the mouth of the cave through tear-blurred eyes, she had a terrible premonition of what she was about to see. Lord Yama, the God of Death, stepped in. His enormous green body filled the cave and he carried a black mace slung over his shoulder.

      “Let him go, Tara. Ananth is now mine.”

      “NO!” shrieked Tara. “He was fighting to save my life. You cannot take him. Bring him back to life.”

      “He is dead, Tara, and therefore mine. Give me his body and go your own way.”

      “NO! I am not leaving him.”

      Lord Yama got off the red bull and approached Tara.

      “Stay away!” Tara yelled.

      Lord Yama raised his hand, and Tara felt her strength drain away. Lord Yama gently lifted Ananth’s body and walked to where the bull stood still, swishing its tail.

      Tara hobbled after him and fell at his feet, begging and babbling.

      “Please don’t take him. This is the last person I have in the world. Please spare him. Someone, anyone, help me ...”

      Lord Yama looked at her and the harsh lines on his face softened.

      “Tara, death of a loved one is always hard to bear. There is nothing you or I can do. Be brave and get on with your life.”

      He got astride the bull and started to move away from her.

      Tara jumped up. The story of Savitri and Satyaban flashed through her mind. She knew what she had to do. She followed the greenish glow and the sound of the bull’s hooves out of the cave and down the steep mountainside.

      Lord Yama heard her following and called out.

      “Go back. You cannot follow us.”

      A cold wind froze the tears on her cheeks and numbed her hands and feet, but she kept walking.

      “Go back, Tara. He is dead and you are not.”

      “If Savitri could follow her husband and get him back, then I can get my brother back,” replied Tara. “I am not turning back. Do what you will.”

      “That was just a story, Tara, and stories do not come true. You are making me very angry.”

      With a roar, Lord Yama got off the bull and strode up to Tara. At each step he grew larger and looked more forbidding than ever with his green skin, his long hair, his stern expression, and his massive hands clenched into fists. He towered over Tara and brought his face inches away from hers and thundered,

      “GO AWAY OR ELSE!”

      Tara cowered before him. But she did not run away.

      “Kill me and put me out of my misery,” she yelled. “I do not want to live all alone. I have lost everyone I’ve loved. What is the point of my going on?”

      She sank down on her knees, her body wracked with sobs. She heard Lord Yama walk away. The sound of the bull’s hooves started up again. The chill in her heart overflowed and spread to the rest of her body.

      Clop, clop, clop.

      Silence.

      Tara looked up, not daring to believe her ears. Lord Yama dismounted and came back to her. He knelt and stroked her hair.

      “I can see that you are brave and loyal. Any other person would have run away, but you held your ground. You truly care about Ananth do you not?”

      “He is my brother. I have already lost one. I’d rather die than lose another.”

      “I will give you a chance to win his life back. But it is going to be very tough. Are you prepared?”

      “Yes,” she said in a shaky voice. What did he have in store for her?

      “There is a cave that leads deep down into the heart of the largest mountain in the Shivalik Hills: the Kailash Parbat. Your task is to bring back the Water of Life from a fountain in that cave. A few drops will restore Ananth to life. Tell me, Tara, will you do it?”

      “Show me the way.”

      “The path to the fountain is guarded by many dark and evil things that have never seen the light of day. They will kill anyone who tries to get past them. There is no guarantee you will come back. I may then have to collect another body: yours!”

      “I am ready, Lord Yama. I want to be with my brother, in life or in death.”

      “Such bravery in one so young! This deserves a fighting chance,” he said, stroking his chin, speaking to himself. “I have met so many cowards and unscrupulous people lately that your loyalty and courage have touched my heart.”

      Tara stood still. Her heart was pounding so hard that the sound was deafeningly loud in her ears.

      “Tara, listen to me carefully. I am going to give you some words of advice — three things that you must remember. You will have to decide how and when to use them. Remember them well, and perhaps they will save your life.”

      Tara nodded.

      “The first is: People are not as they appear on the surface. Trust your heart, not your eyes.”

      Tara repeated it after him till she had memorized it.

      “The second is: Sometimes the right way is the most difficult, while the wrong way, the most easy and tempting. Make your choice wisely.”

      Lord Yama looked at Tara as she repeated the sentence, her face screwed up in concentration.

      “The third is: Help a person in need. You may end up helping yourself.

      “Do you remember everything?” he asked.

      “Yes, Lord Yama, I do. Thank you for the chance to save my brother’s life.”

      She walked toward the cave by his side as the sky in the distance started to lighten and the dawn chorus started. Lord Yama stopped and pointed to a deep, yawning hole in the mountainside.

      “There’s the entrance. Be careful. May the blessings of Lord Vishnu, the Preserver, be with you. Oh, and one more thing: you have twenty-four hours to return with the Water of Life. Even a minute after will be too late.”

      The Earth seemed to spin and a roaring filled Tara’s ears. Twenty-four hours ... unnamed dangers ... three bits of advice and she all alone. She took a deep breath and the world slowed its spinning.

      “May I say goodbye to Ananth?” she asked.

      Lord Yama nodded and stepped aside.

      Tara walked up to Ananth’s body. In the soft light of dawn he looked so serene and peaceful. She leaned over and kissed his forehead.

      “I’ll return, Ananth, or I’ll die trying. You gave your life to save me and now it’s my turn. Sleep for a while, my brother. I will be back to wake you.”

      She turned back to the cave and started walking. Her body was icy cold. Panic had her heart in a firm grip.

      “There is still time to say ‘no,’” Lord Yama called out to her. “Once you step into the cave, there is no turning back. You will not be able to get out unless you have the Water of Life with you, or I come to collect your body.”

      Tara was unable to speak. She turned to look at Lord Yama one last time before she ran into the cave. The dark hole swallowed her up instantly, like black waters closing over the head of a drowning person.

       CHAPTER 12 THE

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